Dr. Cynthia Watson
Professor of Political Science at the National War College, Washington DC
Cynthia Watson earned a master’s in Economic History from the London School of Economics and a Doctorate in Government & International Studies from the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Watson served as Associate Dean at the National War College between 1997 and 2002, having taught there since 1992. She was Assistant Dean for Social Sciences and a member of the Political Science Department at Loyola University Chicago and a member of the Politics Department at Ithaca College before coming to the War College. Dr. Watson was on the staff of the House Subcommittee on Government Information in the 1970s as well as a staff auditor for the General Accounting Office for three years before engaging in graduate work.
Her sabbatical project for AY 2003-2004 examined the competition between the PRC and Taiwan for access to South America, with emphasis on military relations. She has written extensively on nuclear developments, conventional arms issues, political violence and civil military relations in the Third World. Other research interests are military involvement in transnational issues and the effects they have on civil-military relations in China. ABC Clio in Santa Barbara, California published her most recent book, Nation-Building, in July 2004. Her prior books include National Security in the Contemporary Issues Series (ABC Clio, 2002), Political Role of the Military, co-edited with Constantine Danopolous ( Greenwood, 1996), and National Security Policy Groups ( Greenwood, 1990). She has penned many articles as well.
Between 2000 and 2001, Dr. Watson co-directed the National Defense University team for the Middle States Association reaccreditation. Dr. Watson has served as the Secretary for the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces & Society and serve on the Governing Board of the International Studies Association. She is a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies and is on the Editorial Board of Third World Quarterly. She is a popular and highly-sought speaker on national security issues, including appearances on radio and television shows from Australia to Europe to Chicago. Dr. Watson is Spanish-certified as a native speaker for Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic.